


i like me better when i'm with you

by bytheseas



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2019-07-29 18:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16270313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bytheseas/pseuds/bytheseas
Summary: Telling his sister he was in a serious relationship the week before he had to go home for his parents' vow renewal ceremony was not one of David's better life decisions.Especially since David Rose had never been in a serious relationship in his life.Or, a David/Patrick fake dating au!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xenikay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenikay/gifts).



It was seven o’clock on a Sunday night and David was starting to doubt that he was going to live to see the next morning.  He paced up and down the living area, occasionally running his hands through his hair and muttering to himself.

 

Could one have a stress-induced heart attack at twenty-two?  Was that a thing? 

 

He really felt like he was about to have one.

 

Stevie and Twyla watched him from their vantage point on the couch, a concerned look on Twyla’s face, and an amused on on Stevie’s.

 

Somehow through the chaos of his thoughts David heard the familiar sound of a door unlocking, and then Patrick walked in, dropping his gym bag by the couch and plopping down next to Twlya.  

 

_ Of course _ they would all be home to witness this.

  
“What exactly are we looking at here?” Patrick asked.

 

Twyla shook her head, “I don’t know, but it seems serious.  I’m not convinced he’s breathing.” 

 

“I can  _ hear _ you,” David snapped as he paused for a second, looking up at them.  

 

“What’s got you so freaked out?”  Stevie asked, with a little more amusement in her voice than concern.  “I haven’t seen you this bad since one of the twins almost won Project Runway.”

 

David sighed, and stilled, and he could feel his whole body tensing up.  Was this what the beginnings of a heart attack felt like? He felt like it was.  “My sister told me today on the phone that I’m incapable of having a healthy, solid relationship.”

 

“Well,”  Stevie said, cocking her head to the side, “she’s not wrong.”

 

David grimaced.  “Thanks  _ so _ much.”

 

“I think the longest relationship you’ve had since we met lasted three days,” Twyla added.

 

“Not helpful, Twy,”  David snapped, as he dropped down on the seat across from them.  He put his head in his hands, so his next words came out muffled: “So anyway, I got really mad and I told her that I’m in a relationship.  A serious relationship. I told her I’m  _ in love _ .”

 

“You did  _ what _ ?”  Stevie breathed, incredulous.  David looked up. Twyla looked like she was taking it all in stride.  Patrick was staring at him, wide eyed.  

 

Love was never a word that David used in relation to any person, and they all knew it.

 

“I also told them I’m bringing them to my parent’s vow renewal this weekend, so I have six days to find someone.”  

 

“Did she ask for any details?”  Stevie could not have looked more thrilled by this development, as she leaned forward in her seat, clasping her hands together, “What is this mystery person like?”

 

“She didn’t get a chance to ask for details.  I just kind of  _ shouted _ all of that and hung up.”

 

“So it could be anyone,”  Stevie had a scheming look on her face, and David was reminded that even though she was sometimes the worst, she was also sometimes the best.  He looked at her, considering, but before he could speak, she raised her hands. “No. Oh, no.  _ No _ .  David, I love you like the completely neurotic older brother that I never had, but hard pass.  How about Twy?” She elbowed the girl next to her, raising her eyebrows.

  
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,”  Twyla stated, calmly, giving David a sympathetic look.  “I tried doing that for my cousin once a few years back and it didn’t go well.  I’m just not a good enough actress, and they also recognized me even with the wig and all the makeup…” she trailed off, lost to her own thoughts.

 

“I’ll do it,”  David’s gaze snapped over to Patrick, who had been weirdly silent during the whole event, until this moment.

 

(David also felt Stevie’s gaze on him, which wasn’t helpful.)

 

“Won’t Rachel have a problem with that?”  David responded. 

 

“No, we’re not together.  We, um, broke up last night,”  Patrick’s revelation was met with groans from his three roommates.  “ _ What _ ? It’s for good this time.”’

 

In the few years that they had all known each other, Patrick and Rachel had broken and gotten together what felt like a million times.  There was no way this was for good. 

 

Rachel was great.  But they had never worked well together, for whatever reason.  It had never made much sense to David why Patrick kept agreeing to get back together with her.  

 

It was kind of exhausting.  

 

But as much as he would love to blame the drama of his off-and-on relationship with Rachel for his dread at the idea of Patrick doing this for him, there was another tiny flaw in the plan.  A minor thing, really. 

 

David had feelings for Patrick that went beyond friendship.  And he had had these feelings for quite some time now.

 

But he couldn’t say no, not because of something he hated admitting to himself, so he said yes.

 

Well, he said yes in his own way.

 

“My family’s crazy,”  he told Patrick. “Are you sure you want to get yourself into this?”

 

“I’ve lived with you for almost three years now, I think I can handle it,”  Patrick grinned, in his own combination of reassuring and teasing. 

 

He was entirely too attractive.  

 

It was a fair point, honestly.  David had met the three of them during his freshman year, when he had embarked on a misguided attempt to be “just another college student” and live the dorm life, only for his parents to buy the biggest apartment they could find in the city just in time for sophomore year.  The three of them had bonded that first year, and he offered them the other three rooms just so he wouldn’t be alone, and they had been together ever since. 

 

He was still surprised, sometimes, that they had stuck around this long.  

 

“Okay, well, thanks,”  David. “If you’re sure.”

 

“I’m sure,”  Patrick smiled, reassuring.

 

\--- 

 

Later that night, Stevie found him when he was in the bathroom putting moisturizer on his face.  

 

“You do know this is a terrible idea, right?”

 

She was the only one who knew about his out-of-control crush, and he had never regretted confiding in her more than he did in this moment.

 

“Yes, obviously this is a horrible idea,”  he agreed, irritated. “I don’t even know where I’m going to begin to act through being in a relationship with someone who I’m not in a relationship with, who I  _ want _ to be in a relationship with, but who  _ can’t _ know that’s actually how I feel.  But what else am I supposed to do?”  He sighed as he put the cap on the tube in his hand, placing it back in his bag.  

  
Stevie hopped up on the counter.  “I know this is a _wild_ idea, but maybe you could just tell your sister the truth?”

  
  
David sighed, again, as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.  He felt like he had aged ten years in a day. “No, that’s not an option.  Alexis would be so smug. I hate when she’s smug,” he lifted his chin, examining a blemish.  “I’m tired of being a joke. I want to prove them wrong.”

 

“Yeah, okay,”  Stevie ran a hand through her hair.  “It’s just, you’ve been in love-”

 

“I’m  _ not _ in love.  I have...feelings, but it’s not-” 

 

“-Okay, you’ve had  _ feelings _ for him for a while now but now you’re going to be acting out this part that you’re going to want to continue, and there’s Rachel, and I just feel like it’s hard enough for you but after this…”  she trailed off, hopping off the counter, and following him over to his bed which they both collapsed onto.

 

“After this I’ll be fine,”  David laid down next to her, and stared at his ceiling fan.

 

“Okay,”  Stevie didn’t sound convinced, but to be fair, he wasn’t convinced himself that this idea wouldn’t ruin everything.  

 

Theater elementary school had not prepared him for an acting challenge this big.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I'm really excited for this fic. It's something I've wanted to write for a while. I am forever a sucker for fake dating type fics, and felt it only right that David and Patrick have one of their own. Let me know what you think of chapter 1!
> 
> I'm on tumblr @davidrosed
> 
> Also thanks to the lovely Jamie aka @moirabartons on tumblr who kindly read this over for me <3


	2. Chapter 2

“I  _ might _  have agreed to this just so I could fly first class.  I feel like I should be honest about this.”

 

The few days between David’s phone conversation and the start of the trip had passed quickly, in a flurry of planning and packing.  It was Wednesday evening and they were on their way, and David felt like he was not at all prepared for what was to come.

 

He glanced over at where Patrick was lounging in his seat, a pleased expression on his face, and rolled his eyes in his friend’s direction.  “It wouldn’t be the first time I was used for my money.”

 

“Ah, the price of wealth.  I wouldn't know,” Patrick shook his head.  “I also have been  _ very _  curious to see where you came from.  I can’t believe I’ve lived with Rose Video’s own David Rose for years and never met the illustrious Rose family.”

 

David’s family had never visited him at school -- they were all busy with their own projects and past-times.  To be honest, David couldn’t even picture Moira or Johnny at a parents’ week. He had always sent them the dates but had never expected a response.  They were family in name more than anything else. They gathered for Thanksgiving and winter holiday and vacationed in the summer and sometimes called each other in-between, but other than that they lived their own lives.

 

“I think we’re more ‘infamous’ than ‘illustrious’,” David responded, leaning back with a sigh.

 

“Well that just makes it even better.”

 

\---

 

Halfway through the flight Patrick fell asleep, his head leaning on David’s shoulder.  Patrick’s face was calm and relaxed, showing everything David  _ wasn’t _  feeling in this moment.  

  
He just had to make it through four days:  four days of pretending, and then everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be.  Patrick would inevitably get back together with Rachel, and David would get back to hopelessly pining for someone who he had to see every day.  

 

Patrick sighed in his sleep and moved his head a little, his hair brushing David’s neck.  David sighed, for a completely different reason. He leaned into Patrick and tried not to lean into the stressful nagging of his thoughts.   

 

It was only four days.

 

Four days and everything would go back to normal

 

\---

 

The first thing Patrick felt when he woke up was fingers gently skimming through his hair.  It felt so good he wanted to keep his eyes shut and let himself drift off again, but then the hand moved, and shook him gently by the shoulder.

 

“We’re about to land,”  Patrick heard David say, as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and his friend came back into focus.  Patrick nodded, sitting up and running a hand through his hair, in an attempt to be presentable. His hair had gotten long enough that it was forming small curls -- he really should have gotten it trimmed before they left for this trip.  

 

David was pulling at the neck of his sweater, bouncing slightly in his seat -- a ball of nervous energy.  “My mom said she was sending a driver to pick us up, so we won’t be assaulted by my family first thing, thank god,”  he informed Patrick.

 

“It’s going to be fine,” Patrick said, and he reached out and put a hand on David’s knee, effectively stilling him.  David slowed and looked up at him. “They’re going to love me. Parents love me.”   
  


David nodded.  “I could see that.  You’re annoyingly good at small talk.”

 

Patrick laughed.  It was no secret that out of the two of them he was the people person.  “They  _ might _  even love me more than they love you.”

 

David rolled his eyes.  “Let’s not go that far,”  and then, a little quieter:  “I don’t want them to get too attached.  Not that my parents know how to get very attached to begin with.  I’m 98% certain that if it came between my mom saving me or saving her favorite wig, the wig would come first every time.”

 

“I’ll be sure to try to tone down my likeable factor from full blast, but I make no promises.”

 

David was calming down, which was a good sign.  Patrick had found that even though David was sometimes annoyed by it, and pretended to be annoyed even if he wasn’t, Patrick’s particular brand of humor sometimes had a calming effect on him.   

 

Other times it had the complete opposite effect.

 

Maybe Patrick was a bad person for loving either result.  But today he was thankful for the way that David stilled, and let his hands drop to his lap, taking breaths in and out.  

 

\---

 

It seemed David’s calm was short lasted.  They were almost to the meeting point for their ride to the house when David grabbed Patrick’s wrist, holding on tight and stopping him in his tracks.  Patrick turned to face him.

 

“Patrick.  We’ve never kissed.”

 

Patrick stared at him for a moment, trying to match the complete panic in David’s expression with this fact.

 

“People kiss -- people kiss when they’re dating,” David continued on, each word almost tripping over the last.  “They’re going to be able to tell if we’ve never done it before. They’re going to be able to  _ tell _ , and the whole thing will fall apart.  And I’ll be back to being the son who can’t ever keep anyone for more than a day or two before driving them crazy and sending them packing.  I need this to work. I need to have at least the illusion that I can do this in their minds. And that  _ won’t _  happen if they can tell we’ve never kissed before.”   
  


They had spent hours with Stevie and Twyla, going over how they had gotten together, and figuring out the ins and outs of their pretend relationship, just in case anyone asked, but this had not come up before, and maybe it was the panicked look on David’s face, or his utter desperation to prove to someone that he could be a part of a real relationship, but the thought of kissing him filled Patrick with some weirdly nervous feeling that he couldn’t place.  So he turned to humor, as he always did. “Are you saying you’re a bad kisser? Because I think  _ I _  could pull off an impromptu performance.”

 

It was the wrong move.  David did not laugh. “Patrick.  they’re going to be here in a matter of minutes.  i’m freaking out here. Please.  _ Please _  just  _ shut up _  and kiss me.”

 

Something about the pleading in David’s voice and the wild look in his eyes pulled at something in Patrick’s chest, and propelled him into action.  He dropped his bags, and surged forward, pulling David close, and the last thing he heard before just as their lips met was David letting out a little gasp, but then David started kissing him back and-

 

Patrick had been kissed before -- so many times.  Rachel had been his first kiss, and they had shared so many since that day, over the past five years.  He had never really understood the appeal. Kissing was something he did to make her happy: something for hellos and goodbyes and times when they were alone that went on too long.  Kisses were soft and not unpleasant, but never more than something he did because it was what he was  _ supposed _  to do.  

 

This was different.  

 

This was his best friend.  This was  _ weird _ .  It was weird, right?  It should have been weird.  But it wasn’t.

 

It felt  _ right _ .  

 

He forgot anyone else was around.  He forgot this was not for real. He forgot everything but the feeling of  _ David _  kissing him back.  Patrick leaned closer, deepening the kiss, unable to help himself.  When they broke apart he just stared at David, his lips parted. David looked down and away.  

 

And all of a sudden he became aware again that they weren’t the only people in the world, courtesy of a blond girl who came into their space.  Her gaze shifted between David and Patrick’s faces, a wild grin on her own perfectly made-up face.

 

“Well aren’t you two just the cutest!”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling this is the only time Patrick's POV will show up in this fic, but I just HAD to for that moment. Thanks for reading xx


	3. Chapter 3

A thought struck David as they got closer to their meeting point.  It struck him so hard and fast that he grabbed Patrick by the wrist to stop him, to tell him:

 

“Patrick.  We’ve never kissed.”

 

Patrick just stared at him very unhelpfully, so David continued:  “People kiss -- people kiss when they’re dating,” he went on, each word tripping over the last.  “They’re going to be able to tell if we’ve never done it before. They’re going to be able to tell, and the whole thing will fall apart.  And I’ll be back to being the son who can’t ever keep anyone for more than a day or two before driving them crazy and sending them packing.  I need this to work. I need to have at least the illusion that I can do this in their minds. And that won’t happen if we’ve never kissed before.”

 

(He liked to think he didn’t care what his family thought of him, but the truth was, he cared entirely too much, and the idea of them finding this out was humiliating.)

 

“Are you saying you’re a bad kisser?  Because I think I could pull off an impromptu performance,”  Patrick’s tone was light. He wasn’t taking things  _ seriously _ .  

 

“Patrick.  They’re going to be here in a matter of minutes.  I’m freaking out here. Please just shut up and kiss me.”

 

The thing was, he hadn’t been even thinking in that moment about how this was something that he had wanted for so long -- not until Patrick dropped his bags and rushed forward with a determined look on his face, until their lips touched, and David couldn’t help but let out a little gasp before he started kissing him back, because this had been something that he had wanted for so long, and it was actually  _ happening _ .

 

It wasn’t happening the ways he had dreamed it would, but in that moment those details were forgotten.

 

Patrick moved closer, deepening the kiss, and David completely lost himself in the moment, forgetting it wasn’t real until they pulled apart, and he had to look away from his friend because it was  _ too much. _

 

Patrick was a really good actor. 

 

He had the strangest thought that maybe -- maybe Patrick meant what he was doing, he  _ did _ seem into it,  but there was no way.  

 

No way.

 

Patrick was just a really good actor.  

 

And of course, it was just in this moment that his sister decided to show up.  She was standing right in front of them before he even heard her voice, and he almost jumped at the sound.

 

“Well aren’t you two just the  _ cutest _ .”

 

“Alexis!”  David’s voice came out in a screech.  He straightened his sweater. “I didn’t think you were meeting us here.”

 

“Yeah, well, I was bored, so here I am,”  Alexis shrugged. 

 

Patrick held a hand out to her, always the one with the proper manners.  “Hi, I’m Patrick.”

 

She took his hand, and squeezed it, holding on for a couple seconds too long.  “I know. I can’t  _ believe _ I just heard about you this week,”  She dropped his hand, and looked at her brother, “Well, we knew you were roommates, but we didn’t know you were  _ roommates _ , if you know what I mean.”  

 

Patrick laughed, at that, a quick chuckle, and he smiled at her.  “Hmm well I didn’t know that word changed meaning based on intonation, but I’m glad you know now, and it’s great to finally meet you.”  

 

Alexis smiled approvingly in Patrick’s direction and then looped a hand through David’s arm, as a man started gathering their bags.  “Anyway, I came to meet you here because I  _ missed _ you, David.  And also mom was totally driving me nuts making me help her choose between different wigs for the occasion and that was  _ not _ something I was ready to be a part of.”

 

“Your mom wears wigs?”  Patrick interjected. 

  
“Not only does she wear them,” David informed him.  “Our mother has a whole room dedicated entirely to the proper storage her different wigs.”

 

“It’s climate controlled,” Alexis added. 

 

“Well I hope that’s included in the house tour,”  Patrick looked far too excited. 

 

\---

 

Sometimes David forgot how overwhelming his parents’ home could be.  Patrick actually looked nervous when they entered, so David took one of his hands and looped their fingers together, squeezing sightly in a way that he hoped was reassuring.  Patrick gave him a smile, and David’s heart did something weird in his chest at the sight of it. 

 

“That’s a  _ lot _ ,”  Patrick gestured to their larger-than-life family portrait that took up most of the entrance wall.  A sixteen-year-old David sat opposite Alexis, in all of his skinny teenage glory. Their parents stood between them, and the whole family was dressed in black from head to toe, their mouths all set in nearly identical thin lines.

  
It kind of looked like they were at a funeral.

 

“You’re not wrong.”

 

“It looks like it could have been taken a hundred years ago, with all the stiffness and the frowning,”  Patrick mused, staring at the picture. “I’m kind of beginning to wonder if you’re all secretly vampires.”

 

“If I were a vampire I’d have flawless skin, and that’s not even close to my reality,”  David reassured him, with a sigh. 

 

Patrick squeezed his hand. “We all have our flaws.”

 

It was then that David’s parents came down the large entrance hall, hand in hand.  Alexis trailed behind, staring at her phone. His father was, as always, dressed in a suit: freshly pressed, as if straight out of a business catalogue.  His mother had on one of her many wigs: today, it was Candace: light blue, and short, with perfectly straight bangs. 

 

He took a moment to think about how sad it was that he knew all of his mother’s wigs by name.

 

“ _ David _ !  It’s been  _ so _ long,” she exclaimed, and threw her arms around him like he was a long lost prodigal son instead of a child she often made the choice not to visit.  He patted her back, somewhat awkwardly. 

 

“Hi, mom.”

 

She turned to Patrick as soon as she let him go. 

 

“This must be your boyfriend!   Pat, was it?”   
  


“ _ Patrick _ ,”  David interjected, before Patrick had a chance to be nice and agree to that awful nickname. 

 

“Pat, we’re  _ so _ glad to finally meet you,”  Moira went on, ignoring her son, and shaking the hand that Patrick offered her, while David glared in her direction.

 

“David only told about your budding relationship this past weekend,”  Johnny added. “Well, he told Alexis, and then she told us.”

 

“It’s lucky one of our cousins dropped out so we have an empty seat at the reception,”  Moira added, “with the late notice I don’t know if we could have squeezed another person in otherwise.  It’s just hard to make room when everyone who is anyone wants to be a part of the celebration.”

 

“Well I appreciate you finding a seat for me,”  Patrick said, with a smile, but he raised his eyebrows at David.  David raised his right back, as if to say:  _ I warned you. _

 

He  _ had _ warned him.

 

\---

 

Dinner served as more of a reminder of how annoying his family was.

 

“This is the first time David has ever brought someone home.  Poor thing has had the hardest time keeping anyone around,” his mother informed the table, before taking a bite of her salad.  The five of them were spread out around the massive table in their dining room. 

 

“Can we not?”  David asked, lowering his fork, and glaring in his mother’s direction. 

 

“The longest he’s ever made it before this was six weeks,”  Alexis told Patrick, with far more glee in her tone than the subject should have allowed.  “So this is a  _ big _ deal.”

 

David threw his napkin in her direction.  “Die, please.”

  
She shrieked as the napkin landed on her plate.  “ _ Ew _ , David.”

 

“Let’s all settle down,”  Johnny interjected, “We’re just all very happy for the two of you.”

 

“Yes, very happy,”  Moira agreed. “It’s a pleasant shock to us all.”

“So, when did you realize you loved our David?  Like, when was  _ the _ moment,”  Alexis leaned her head on her hands, and stared at Patrick expectantly, with all the earnest curiosity of a seventeen-year-old.  

 

“You don’t have to-”  David started -- they  _ hadn’t _ gone over this -- but Patrick obliged her.

 

“It was final exam season last year.  I had been tutoring David for this math class the whole semester long.  We worked on it for hours some weeks. I honestly wasn’t sure our friendship would survive a challenge as big as that class.  I think David was ready to kill me half the time when I insisted we work on problems until he could do all of them right, every time, even though he kept claiming that ‘math was for nerds’, while fully knowing accounting happens to be my major,”  he gave David a disapproving look, and David returned it with a shrug. “Anyway, the day he got his final exam test grade, he ran into the library -- literally  _ ran  _ over to where I was putting a book on the shelf, and screamed my name, and held the paper in my face, saying ‘I got a B minus!’ over and over.  He jumped into my arms and hugged me and then he said: ‘I actually ran out of class half-way through to tell you this so I have to go -- I just needed you to know.’ and ran out,”  Patrick was smiling almost wistfully as he trailed off, and then looked up at David’s family, who were all staring at him in rapt attention. “So yeah, that was the moment. That was when I knew.  I should also add that the librarian kicked me out of the library right after he left, even though I was the  _ picture _ of propriety and the library rule-breaking was all David.”  

 

David just stared at Patrick as he told the story, because the thing was, it was something that had actually happened.  David had almost entirely forgotten about it until Patrick told the story, but it had happened. The fact that Patrick remembered it all so clearly surprised David.  Of all of the things that he could have told David’s family, he chose something so incredibly specific and entirely ordinary. 

 

He got so focused on thinking about this that he tuned out most of what his family said for the rest of the meal.

 

\---

 

“I mean I knew you were a big Mariah Carey fan, but not quite  _ this _ big,”  They were in David’s room, and Patrick was wandering around the large space, looking at the decorations and articles from David’s youth.  He had stopped in front of one of David’s framed posters -- it was nearly life sized. “I feel like she’s going to be watching me while I sleep.”  

 

“We should only be so fortunate to have her watching over us,”  David responded, emphatically, as he went into the bathroom to change into his pajamas.  It felt too weird to change in the room. 

 

He was kind of trying to avoid thinking about the fact that he and Patrick were about to share a bed.  

 

Once he finished his moisturizing routine, he laid on the opposite side of the king bed, gingerly folding his arms over the blankets, suddenly feeling very awkward.

 

“I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before,”  he admitted, into the silence, turning in Patrick’s direction. “Well, I’ve been in a bed with people for...but never like, sleeping next to each other, overnight.”  He cringed, at the end, hating his own awkwardness.

 

Patrick looked right back at him.  “I can sleep on the floor.”

  
“No, you can stay.”

 

“Okay,”  Patrick fell silent for a moment, then spoke up again, his voice hesitant: “Also I’m sorry if that kiss earlier was too much.”

 

David gazed at him, confused.  It was an odd thing to apologize for, especially since it was David’s idea.  “It wasn’t too much. I wanted us to practice, and we did, and it’s all pretend, anyway.”  

 

Patrick hesitated for a moment.  “Right. Goodnight David.”

  
“Goodnight, Patrick.”

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, at last. Can you believe? Thank you for putting up with me. x

David woke up to sunlight streaming in from between his curtain, and an empty bed.  He barely had time to sit up and wonder where Patrick had gone, before he heard the door open, and his friend was before him, looking entirely too put together and awake.  

  
“Rise and shine, sweetie,”  Patrick said, with a grin. He walked up to the side of David’s bed, and reached down and ruffled David’s already nappy hair.  

 

“You’re so...annoying in the morning,” David grumbled, slowly, as he batted Patrick’s hand away.  

 

Patrick shrugged.  “You knew this when you decided to fake-date me.”

  
  
“Mmmm,” David grumbled, as he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.  

 

“Hurry up and get dressed,”  Patrick said, as David closed the bathroom door in his face.  “Your dad and I made breakfast and it’ll get cold.”

 

This information jolted David into a fully awake state of mind.  He opened the bathroom door, and gave Patrick a look, incredulous.  “You did _what_ with my dad?  Johnny Rose does not cook, and we are not family breakfast people.”

 

Their family had breakfast together on exactly one day of the year:  Christmas, and it was either catered or made by their cook, never by a Rose family member.  David was fairly sure his father didn’t even know how to scramble an egg. The best he could probably do was pour a bowl of cereal.

 

“Okay, so I did most of the cooking.  But your dad helped. I was downstairs looking for coffee and so was he and we got to talking and we were both hungry so we decided to do something about it,”  Patrick leaned against the doorframe. “In retrospect, ignoring my natural instincts and believing your dad when he said _very_ unconvincingly that he knew how to cook the sausage was a regrettable mistake, but most of them turned out fine.  Anway, when you’re ready your mom and sister are waiting downstairs too and they did _not_ look like they were in a patient mood.”  

 

David just stared at him for a moment.  “My mom, dad, _and_ sister are all waiting at the kitchen table, for breakfast.   _Together_.  Which my dad helped cook,”  he recapped, slowly.

 

Patrick just nodded.

 

Honestly, David shouldn’t have been surprised.  This was Patrick Brewer, who turned their weird little roommate group into the most unlikely of families.  This was Patrick, who found friends everywhere, and could talk to literally anyone. He shouldn’t have been surprised that he could also bring David’s family together for an actual breakfast within less than twenty-four hours of meeting them.  But it was still weird.

 

 _Very_ weird.

 

“I”ll believe it when I see it,”  David said, and he shooed Patrick away from the bathroom door.  He was going to need a moment alone to prepare for whatever was about to happen.

 

\---

 

  
David spent the whole walk downstairs thinking about whether he should hold Patrick’s hand, just to keep up the act, of course, but Patrick just took his and wound their fingers together like it was nothing.  

 

It felt so _right_.

 

“Well, finally, it’s about time you came down,”  Johnny said, as they entered the kitchen. “We were beginning to think you were never going to wake up.”  


“It _is_ only nine in the morning, so I think you could have waited a little longer before assuming I was dead, but thanks for the concern,”  David shook his head as he let go of Patrick’s hand and dropped into the seat next to his sister, who was on her phone, texting furiously.  His mother sat across the table with a cup of coffee in hand. David raised his eyebrows at her and she shook her head.

  
“I’m skeptical, but they’re very excited, so let’s try and keep an open mind,”  she told him.

 

“Thanks, dear,” Johnny said, as if this was actually a compliment.  He and Patrick disappeared for a moment.

 

David kicked Alexis under the table, until she looked up from her phone.  He raised his eyebrows at her. “Am I the only one who feels like they’re in the twilight zone right now?”

 

She just shrugged, and dropped her cell onto the table, looking up at him.  “I mean, it’s weird, but it’s nice, right?”

 

David didn’t even know what to say to that, so he just nodded.

 

Johnny and Patrick emerged at this moment, with plates filled with sausage, eggs, and pancakes.   Johnny had the biggest grin on his face as he set his down and took a seat next to his wife. “Breakfast is served,”  he stated, proudly, and David had this sort of feeling like maybe this kind of morning is the kind of thing his dad had wanted them to have more than once a year. He was clearly thrilled as he looked around at his family, waiting for their reactions.

 

“Looks delightful,”  Moira said, sounding slightly impressed, of all things, “I suppose I could break my no-carb rule, just for this occasion.”

 

Johnny nodded his approval of this statement.  “Patrick was a big help,” he told them, patting Patrick’s shoulder, and then, after a look from both of his children, he added: “Actually, he made most of it, but I did cook the sausage.”

 

“It was a team effort,” Patrick shrugged, raising his glass of orange juice to Johnny who tapped it with his own.

 

Of course, David thought, as he dug into the pancakes, of course his fake boyfriend and his father would become best friends in the space of hours.  Leave it to his family, who cared more about possessions than people as a rule, to get attached to the one person they shouldn’t.

 

He shared this thought with Patrick, as he watched him wash dishes after breakfast.  David had told him just to leave them, but Patrick insisted.

 

“What did I say about toning down the likable factor?”  He scolded. Patrick handed him a wet, clean dish, which he just stared at until Patrick tossed a towel in his direction as well, at which point he started drying without complaint.  

 

“This _is_ toned down,”  Patrick informed him.  He turned away from the sink and came up to David, taking the plate from his hands and replacing it with another.  

 

“Arranging a family breakfast, which was cooked with my father, does not count as toned-down,”  David informed him. “My dad was more excited this morning than he is on Christmas.”

 

Patrick just shrugged.  “What can I say? Being likable is in my DNA.  I can’t go against it. My true nature just shines through.”

 

David rolled his eyes in response, throwing the towel at Patrick’s head.  Patrick shrieked. “Wow, I make you breakfast, and this is the thanks I get.”  He threw the towel back, and David caught it.  
  
“Thanks,” he said, flatly, then added:  “the pancakes were really good; _too_ good, I think I ate five of them.”

 

“You’re very welcome.”

 

\---

 

Just when they were about to make their way upstairs, Moira stopped them.  “David, I made an appointment for Patrick with Claude for this afternoon. He can help him with a suit for Saturday.”

  
“But you haven’t even seen my suit,” Patrick told her.  “It’s really-”

 

Moira cut him off, waving a dismissive hand: “No offense dear, but I don’t need to see it to know.  Just trust me, and go see Claude.”

 

“ _Wow_ ,” Patrick said, once they were upstairs and far enough away that she couldn’t hear.  “I feel like I should be really offended right now.”

 

“My mother does not hold back on her clothing opinions,”  David told him.

 

“I also find myself questioning my entire wardrobe right now,”  Patrick mused on. “Is _everything_ I wear horrible? So bad it’s dismissed as terrible without even being seen?”  He pulled at the collared shirt he was wearing, and raised his eyebrows.

  
David knew Patrick wasn’t being entirely serious, but he felt this drive to reassure him that he found himself acting on before he really thought about it.  “I like the way you dress. You have your own sense of style. Do you have an overabundance of blue collared shirts in your wardrobe? Maybe. But you always look great.  Don’t let my mom make you feel bad. Just play along for this event, if you can, since it’s for her.”

 

Patrick just looked at him, for a moment, and there was something soft in his expression that David couldn’t quite read.  “Thanks, David. I think I’ll do it for you, instead.” and then just after he said this he leaned forward and kissed David on the cheek, of all things, before saying something about how he hadn’t showered yet and disappearing into the room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.  

 

David touched his cheek and looked down the hall to see if anyone had been watching, thinking maybe that’s why Patrick kissed him, but no one was there.

 

Huh.


	5. Chapter 5

“Whoah, you guys have a _lot_ of cars,”  Patrick whistled, clearly in awe, as the Rose family’s driver walked him and David down a row of cars.   Patrick’s gaze roamed from side to side, as he followed along with a bounce in his step, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store.  The driver stopped in front of a Range Rover and threw Patrick a set of keys.   
  
“Don’t make me regret this.”

Patrick shot the guy a disarming smile.  “No chance.” He had somehow convinced the family driver to let him drive one of the cars for their outing, and David was still kind of in shock that he had pulled that off.  The man ruled the garage with an iron fist and David was fairly sure no one but drivers had actually driven any of the cars that his parents kept in the garage, other than the rare occasion when Johnny decided to take one of the sports cars for a spin.  But this was Patrick, so he shouldn’t have even been surprised.

“You _have_ driven before, right?  You do know how to drive?”  David eyed Patrick anxiously as the driver walked away.  

“David, I grew up in a small town, I know what I’m doing.  Trust me.” Patrick patted David’s arm gently before giving him a little shove towards the passenger door.  

“I trust you,” David told him, in an entirely unconvincing tone that had Patrick raising his eyebrows.

“You could at least _try_ to say it like you mean it,”  Patrick responded, as he started the car, but he sounded more amused than offended by David’s lack of conviction.

“I mean, I do trust-”

Patrick held up a hand, halting David’s words.  “It’s okay, David. I know you. Just prepare yourself to be amazed by my skills.”

David rolled his eyes and entered the tailor’s address into the car’s navigation system.  He leaned back as Patrick slowly pulled out of the garage and onto the road. Patrick was in fact a very good driver, and as David relaxed and watched the passing of familiar scenery, his thoughts started to wander.

He kept thinking about the way Patrick had kissed his cheek, just an hour ago, with no one else around around.

_‘I think I’ll do it for you, instead.’_

It wasn’t a big deal -- it was pathetic, honestly, that David was dwelling on it so much.

He didn’t notice he had been touching his cheek until Patrick’s voice broke the silence, and he jerked his hand away.

How embarrassing.

“So I’m trying to picture what this Claude guy might look like, and all I’m seeing is Tim Gunn,”  Patrick seemed completely oblivious to David’s train of thought, thank god.

David folded his hands together, and looked over at Patrick with amusement on his face.  “I love that Project Runway is your one point of reference for fashion.”

Patrick pointed accusingly in his direction. “And whose fault is that?”

“Just because I was watching that one day  didn’t mean you had to sit down and watch too,”  David pointed right back at him. “It _also_ didn’t mean you had to watch ahead without Twy and I and completely spoil the finale for us.”

“It’s _weirdly_ addicting, I couldn’t help it.  And I apologized for that!”

“Well maybe I haven’t forgiven you,”  David gave him a defiant look, but he broke when Patrick smiled back at him, unperturbed, and it _should_ really have been annoying that Patrick knew David’s irritation was all talk, but it wasn’t.   “Anyway, Claude is great. He’s a force of nature. Mom’s been using his shop since I was a kid so he knows way too much about me, and he’s incredibly nosy so he asks about anything he doesn’t know with no hesitation, but he’s great.”  

“I guess he will be excited to meet me then,” Patrick pulled into the little parking lot the navigator had led them too.  Claude’s shop was tiny and nondescript and you would never know it was there if you didn’t know about it, which gave it an exclusive air that Moira loved.  She loved showiness, but she loved exclusivity even more.

“Yeah, _too_ excited,”  David got out and met Patrick around the other side of the car, offering him his hand.  He felt Patrick’s thumb rubbing that little space next to his own as they walked inside, such a simple, sweet gesture, that was becoming as familiar as it was thrilling.

He needed to not get used to this.

Claude rushed over to them as soon as they entered the door, a blur of scarves and curly, greying hair, and David felt himself being pulled into a hug before he had even had a chance to look at Claude’s face.  When Claude pulled back, his face was ecstatic. “David! Your mother told me you were coming. And this must be your man!” He patted Patrick’s cheek and then pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him tight, as if he was someone so familiar to him, and not, in fact, a stranger.  “Welcome, boys. Don’t worry, I already have ideas.” He rushed off to find an assistant and a measuring tape, leaving them on their own for a brief moment.

“I see what you mean by ‘force of nature’” Patrick whispered.

David shook his head.  “It’s the only way to describe him.”

  
Moments later Claude returned with a girl, and he threw an arm around David’s shoulder.  “Let’s go look at some options while Patrick gets measured,” David raised his eyebrows at Patrick, who nodded, dumbly, a measuring tape already being wound around his waist.  “Moira says he was going to wear a suit from _Kohls_ ,”  Claude said with a shudder, when they were barely out of earshot.  

The funny thing was, David heard this and felt instantly defensive, even though he had felt just about the same way about Patrick’s wardrobe choices when he met him.  David still remembered how Patrick insisted on wearing his button downs and khakis to every single one of their freshman classes, despite David and Stevie’s intermittent taunting and how everyone on their floor called him ‘The Professor’.  

It had taken David _years_ to get him to branch out of his closet full of blue collared shirts.  

“I know.  He’s not used to all of this,”  He gestured around, vaguely, trying to sum up everything that defined the level of style that seemed commonplace to Claude, and had been David’s norm since he was small.  “He’s dressed in department store business casual since I met him freshman year. It’s _him_ , and really I like it. He always looks good.  Patrick does his own thing -- he’s never trying to impress anyone.”

Claude looked at him for a moment, uncharacteristically still and contemplative, studying David’s face.  “You like him, a lot.”

David nodded, slowly.  “I really do.”

Claude patted his cheek, something so soft in his expression.  “I like you like this.”

“Uh, thanks,”  David’s words came out awkward and stilted, lost as to exactly how to respond to such a statement, but then he smiled back at Claude, who nodded.

To David’s surprise, Claude let the topic go after that.  He listened to Claude chatter on and show him all of the things he had gotten in since David was last there, and tried not to think about just how honest his words had been, and how another four letter word could have easily fi in where _like_ had been.

Twenty minutes later, when Claude had finally satisfied himself in outlining choices, they headed back to the front of the store.  Claude and his assistant disappeared for a moment, leaving the boys alone, to discuss options and bring out some choices.

“Don’t leave me alone again,”  Patrick clutched one of David’s arms, and looked at him with wide eyes, whispering urgently:  “She measured parts of my body I _didn’t even know existed_.”

He was being dramatic, but there was some sincerity in his words, so David pulled him in for a hug as he laughed, patting Patrick’s head like he was a small child, carding through his soft hair with his fingers.  “You poor thing.”

“Can’t believe you’re laughing - don’t appreciate that you find this funny,”  Patrick grumbled, as he leaned his head on David’s shoulder. When they separated he asked: “How was your time with Claude?  I’ve never seen an old dude with that much energy.”

“He caught me up on the changes in his fashion world, showed me what his current favorite things are,” David replied.  Also, he basically told Claude he loved Patrick, and it was completely true. No big deal.

It’s almost like Patrick read his mind because his next words were: “Did he ask about us?”  

“You know, he didn’t pry too much, shockingly.  Just said we seemed happy,” Claude’s words were on his mind:   _I like you like this._

If only Claude knew the truth of it.  

“So that means we’re doing a good job selling this,” David added.   

Patrick looked disconcerted for a moment, but then he pulled his face into a smile, which might have been convincing if David didn’t know him as well as he did. “Oh yeah, that’s good,”  Patrick fiddled with one of his sleeves, sounding distant and maybe he was stressed but he seemed much less excited about the success of their act than David expected.

Maybe this act was getting old and making him come to a tailoring shop where he obviously felt uncomfortable was pushing him over the edge.  David had thought Patrick was over exaggerating his fitting experience for dramatic effect, but maybe this was too much. Maybe..

Before David could completely spiral,  Claude returned. He led them off to the dressing rooms, chattering on about how he would have tailored outfits especially for them if he had had the time, but these options would have to do.

A few minutes later, David walked out of his dressing room to find Patrick already dressed waiting for him just outside, and Claude was fiddling with his collar and chattering on but David wasn’t paying attention.  Because here’s the thing: David always thought Patrick looked great, even when he didn’t -- even when he was sitting on their couch in sweatpants, on a Saturday morning watching cartoons with his hair sticking up everywhere, even when he was covered in mud from a pick up game, sweating like crazy -- but right now he looked...greater than great.  Patrick was standing in front of David in a suit that fit him _perfectly_ , and it was _too much_.  It really was too much.  The suit was a very dark blue, almost black, but just blue enough that it fit into Patrick’s favorite color style, and still felt like him.  David couldn’t help looking him up and down, until he caught Patrick’s gaze and Patrick smiled at him, face flushed.  David couldn’t help but smile back.

“Patrick, you look great.”  

“Can you _believe_ how well this fits him?”  Claude circled Patrick, gesturing towards him, as if David’s gaze _hadn’t_ been glued to his friend since the moment he pulled back his dressing room curtain.  “It’s like the _universe_ tailored it for him, I mean, I wasn’t sure how this would go when your mom told me he would need something in such a short time because there was no time to customize things,  but it all worked out!”

“Yeah,” David nodded.  He could be cool about this.  He could. “He looks amazing.”

Patrick looked so _pleased_ at that that David forgot his previous panic, cheeks flushed and eyes lit up like he had been waiting for such approval.  When he spoke, his voice was a little strained: “Thanks David, you look amazing too.” Patrick lifted a hand to David’s collar, rubbing the fabric between his fingers, and then raised his hand to David’s cheek,  just holding it there for a moment, and gazing at him. Claude let out an _‘awwww’_ and David felt fairly sure he would be happy if this act never ended.

\---

They fell into bed later that night, after Alexis forced them to watch her new music video more times than either of them could count.  

“I can’t believe she put us through that,” David groaned.  “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s kind of a bop, though,”  Patrick started humming.

“ _Don’t_.”

“I’m a Lamborghini.  I’m a Hollywood star.  I’m a little bit tipsy, when I drive my car...”

“ _Stop_.”

David threw a pillow at Patrick, who laughed hysterically but stopped singing.

“I like your family, though,”  Patrick told him, once he’d stopped laughing.  “They’re fun.”

“That’s one way to describe them,”  David rolled his eyes. “But yeah, sometimes I like them too.”

The room fell to silence for a bit, both of them quiet in the dark, until David turned to Patrick and broke the quiet.

“I can’t believe we lived together for so long and I didn’t know you could drive.”   
  
Patrick faced him,  and shrugged. “I’m a man of many talents, what can I say?”

“I do trust you, you know,”  David told him, because he had been thinking about it, and it felt important to say.   “I mean, I trust you most of the time. I trust you more than most people. Maybe more than anyone.”  He had never really thought about it, but it was true. Patrick had never given him a reason not to trust him.    
  
“More than Stevie?”

“Stevie can’t be trusted.”

Patrick laughed at that, but he took one of David’s hands, winding their fingers together, and laying their joined hands between them. “Thank you, David.”  He smiled once more and then closed his eyes, and David watched as he relaxed into sleep, following soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we check in on our boy Patrick and how he's feeling (throwback to when I said chapter two would be the only one from his perspective, I lied! ;)


End file.
